Amulet of Doom

Chamber of Horrors #1

by Bruce Coville

When her Aunt Zenobia asks Marilyn to care for an ancient amulet, she hands her a passport to a terrifying world of adventure.

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Supernatural, Childrens

191 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1985

Reviews

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember my experiences reading books written by authors like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine's Fear Street. Thrillers made to scare teenagers; like horror movies, they were all very formulaic. Some horrific images stick in my mind even todday (like a girl waking up in her bunk at summer camp finding herself covered in leeches, bleh!) but plot? Characters? I can't recall any of those.

When I learned my favorite childhood author, Bruce Coville, wrote some thrillers of his own aimed at teenagers, I assumed they would be the same and I put off reading them. (I have to say, the cliche titles like "Chamber of Horrors" and "Amulet of Doom" didn't do anything to convince me otherwise.) I only found this book last week in a cheap auction and picked it up on a whim.

I was so, so wrong. I owe Mr. Coville an apology. This book is so much more than a cheap thrill made to give a couple hours of chills to teenagers! This book was filled with horror, yes, and chilling images and ideas. It was also filled with great emotion, pathos, a twisting story with multiple layers and depths, and no easy answers. As the main character is faced with a life-or-death decision at the end, I honestly could not say what I would choose if I was in her place.

Could you kill someone that has caused the deaths of so many other people? Could you trust in a being's inherit goodness with no real evidence that is has any?

There are the formulaic pieces of teenage thrillers here. There's the cliche 'crazy aunt' character, the boy-next-door love interest (of course), the old cursed jewelery item, the cat with otherworldly abilities. And of course the chilling scenes! I don't think I could ever quite get over the image of sneaking into a funeral parlor at night and having the body of a loved one falling on you.... -shudder- But the point is, this book does not present them in the old, cliche formulas. This book is an adventure that makes you feel, makes you hope, and makes you think.

I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

[Pop Bop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coville For A Slightly Older Crowd

Coville books are like a box of Cracker-Jack; you're never exactly sure what sort of prize you'll get. He's written over a hundred books - many of which are well known, (especially the "My Teacher..." books, the Magic Shop books, the "Enchanted Files", "The A.I Gang", and so on). The books seem aimed at early Middle Grade to the mid-Teen readers, but vary widely in tone and content. Sometimes they are simple and almost childish, and sometimes they can deliver a really good story and a good scare. That's not a criticism, but more like a mild heads up.

A while ago, browsing for Kindle freebies, I found a number of Coville books that were straight out free or at least free through kindleunlimited. I grabbed and read them all. Books like "The Ghost in the Third Row" were entry level, mild, easy to digest tales for young readers maybe just moving beyond chapter books. The A. I. Gang featured young teen scientists solving sciencey/action mystery/conspiracies, and skewed older. So, depending on your reader you can end up too young or too old with lots of his books.

Which brings us to "Amulet of Doom". The almost jokey title suggests that this may just be an enchanted jewelry story for a young reader. I don't think so. This is a cursed jewelry story, the curse is nasty, SPOILER, the demon at the center of things is complexly nasty and scary, and the sense of suspense and peril is palpable. People die, (nastily), in this story, which definitely knocks us out of the cutesy category.

We have a solid heroine, a funny best friend, a strange Aunt, a boy crush, nightmares, curses, and prophecies, which all seem to be staples of mid-level horror. But there's just more blood, terror, moaning, stabbing and beady-eyed evil for the story to just be a light-hearted lark. The upshot is that this was really a bracing, fast-paced, entertaining, and honestly scary read for an older horror fan. Good.

(Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on this and Coville's other entry into this series, Spirits and Spells, I think Coville really wanted to write fantasy, since he takes a fantasy story and dresses it up in horror clothes to meet the standards. Add in the fact that Coville is wordy, but can't seem to describe anything well enough to make it stick in your mind, and you get a half-hearted book that just barely feels interesting.

[BRANDON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Coville is a master of backstory and exposition. He can do so much with 150 pages, oftentimes more than other authors can do with 300. Amulet of Doom starts as your typical demon-possessed trinket and spirals out into an epic tale of star-crossed lovers, the fraught relationship between a father and son, and how one man's ambition can lead to the downfall of not only his family but his entire species. Really, it's impressive how concisely Coville can produce such a profound narrative.

[Dan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one unfortunately. Found it for cheap at Half Price Books, so that was cool. But I suppose the unclear amulet mechanics and backstory bugged me. It was all over the place- Egyptian, Indian, Eastern-religion... what? Zenobia wasn't as cool as she was made to seem. The world wasn't that immersive either. Just ho-hum and not that engaging.

[Kim]

Not interested. Enjoyed the first one I read, Eyes of the Tarot, much better.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read this title as a kid, but this circa 1985 teenybopper horror title by Mr. Coville took me right back to middle school! Great good fun.

[Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this book since I first held it in my hand. First grade, seven years old. it probably wasn't meant for me at that age. But I don't think I got it anyways. I just really liked the aunt. But every year I read it, I like it more and more. And it makes more and more sense. I connect different things every time. It's simply magical.

[Jennifer Risley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book for years. I was 12 when i read it, and didn't send it to the second place spot until I read George RR Martin. This story was one of then that I have never stopped thinking about. I think even adults should read to get an idea of a great story line and amazing characters. Thank you Bruce for a truely great story

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a BIG Bruce Coville fan. If I could be like any writer, it would be him. This story was fun. It teeters between the middle grade "Wow! Look at this new, amazing world" view and the young adult "How do I belong in this world?" and it worked fairly well. Minimal character building was necessary to have this story be full. Aunt Zenobia was a hoot!

[Caitlin]

Amulet of Doom (Chamber of Horrors) by Bruce Coville (1996)

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another read from my teen years, now packed off into a box. Amazing I never had many nightmares, given the spooky stuff I read.

[fureshiiness · Rating 3 out of 5]

reminiscent of old fantasy games like Diablo or DOD.